Hold My Heart
by MaybeWeAre
Summary: After a year apart and so many things left unsaid, Mulan and Aurora reunite in Storybrooke. Can Mulan find the courage to finally tell Aurora the truth? Angst, fluff, and smut with a dollop of sassy Emma.


**A/N:** Aurora was never pregnant. The curse brought Mulan to Storybrooke as it should have in the show, and she joined in the fight against Zelena. Swan Queen is probably happening in the background.

* * *

_One Year Ago_

Mulan had faced armies and beasts without hesitation, without the slightest hint of fear. She'd realized over the past couple of months that there was only one thing in this world that scared her.

She'd gone from being scared _for_ Aurora to being scared _by_ Aurora. It happened in a split second, deep underground as she approached Rumplestiltskin's cell. The princess was right where they'd left her, completely unharmed, her heart pumping steadily in the bag cupped in Mulan's hands. They were safe—probably not forever, not for long at all if Cora came back—and Aurora looked up as she heard Mulan's footprints and smiled.

Mulan was sure her heart stopped as Aurora's beat on, and while she couldn't quite explain it yet, she knew that this princess, _her_ princess, could hurt her more than blades and arrows ever would.

It happened right away, when Aurora mentioned Phillip with Mulan's hand still hovering inches from where she'd placed her heart.

But today, as Mulan walked across the damaged courtyard, hand on the hilt of her sword for comfort, she knew that she was marching into war, and she might not win. But after fighting beside Robin and Neal, two men who had lost their loves and had so many words left unsaid, Mulan had decided to stop delaying the inevitable.

The echo of voices as she neared the Great Hall slowed Mulan to a stop. She couldn't speak to them together. She knew that she'd have to face Phillip eventually, but first she needed to tell Aurora how she felt.

"The time isn't right," Phillip was saying, and Mulan stationed herself by the door, refusing to allow herself to retreat. "Our home is destroyed, and there's no one around for miles. What would we do for guests? Or servants?"

"How can we delay any longer after spending so long searching for each other?" Aurora asked. "We have all we need. And Mulan's a kind of a knight. Do you suppose she could marry us?"

There it was, the war lost before Mulan even turned the corner. Despite the growing distance that Mulan had noticed between them, Aurora and Phillip were preparing to marry.

And if Aurora asked her to officiate, gave her that princess pout, Mulan knew she'd be powerless to refuse.

"You can't ask her to do that," the prince replied.

"Why not? She's our closest friend, and without her we'd be worlds apart."

"I see the way she looks at you." Mulan froze at this. Was it really that obvious when it had taken her months to realize that she loved Aurora?

At least she wouldn't have to worry about breaking the news to Aurora, if Phillip was going to do it for her. It wasn't enough to comfort her. Mulan didn't know yet what she wanted to say to the princess, but she knew that she'd take the conversation slowly and delicately.

"That's ridiculous," Aurora said. "Just because she wears trousers and carries a sword you assume she prefers the company of other women?"

Mulan smiled at how Aurora stood up for her, but that didn't stop the tears. Aurora didn't hope for the things Mulan did, hadn't even considered what they could be together. She thought Phillip's words were slander, not the deepest truth Mulan had ever felt.

For the first time in her life, Mulan retreated. She did the most cowardly thing she could, leaving a note—for Aurora, not the pair of them—and left to take Robin Hood up on his offer without even saying goodbye.

* * *

The barn was utter chaos after the fight, and Mulan hung back, hand still on the hilt of her sword just in case. David rushed back to the hospital with the squalling baby, Regina replaced her heart while bickering with Rumplestiltskin about how Zelena should be punished, and the Witch herself was being led away in handcuffs by Robin. Mulan kept her eyes on Robin, as always ready to back him up, when somebody jostled her arm.

"Hey," Emma said as Mulan turned to see who'd bumped her. "We got this. Go." She nodded towards the back of the barn, where the chatter of flying monkeys was quickly turning into the chatter of people.

Mulan hadn't bothered paying attention to them. Little John was the only one of Robin's men who had been turned into a monkey, and Mulan hardly knew any of Storybrooke's other citizens. She glanced over, about to ask Emma why, but the question died on her lips.

Aurora was in the midst of the knot of people, looking bewildered. And then she saw Mulan and smiled, instantly calming. Mulan, for her part, forgot to breathe. Aurora gathered her skirts and ran towards her, Mulan instantly stepping forward to accept her embrace.

"Mulan!" The princess threw her arms around the other woman's neck. "It's really you." She didn't even notice Emma, and the blonde left them with a smirk.

Mulan held her for a second and then stepped back, Aurora's hands in hers as she looked her over. "Are you all right? Did she hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Aurora promised. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Mulan wanted to reach out and touch her hair, her cheek, anything, but she settled for merely squeezing her hands. "I should have known you were in danger. I should have been there."

"You're here now." Aurora closed the space between them again, holding her tighter than before.

Mulan didn't ask the inevitable question about where Phillip was, and Aurora, to Mulan's surprise, didn't ask either. She let the moment linger on, only the two of them as everybody else slowly filtered out of the barn.

"Don't you ever leave me again." Aurora whispered, head on Mulan's shoulder, and the warrior breathed in, happy that the princess smelled like Aurora and not monkey.

It was as though the year of hiding amongst men and trying to forget her love had never happened, even though Mulan had gotten all of those memories back just the day before. She still loved Aurora.

Despite knowing that she was setting herself up for a world of pain, that Aurora would ask after the man who was probably her husband by now, Mulan was no good at denying the princess. "Never," she promised.

* * *

Aurora held Mulan's arm as they followed the others back into town, a bit overwhelmed by the strange world she found herself in. Mulan hadn't been in Storybrooke long enough to completely adjust, but at least she knew to expect cars hurtling down the streets. "You don't remember any of this from flying around it?" Mulan asked.

"I remember Zelena finding me in the woods. Nothing else." Aurora shifted her focus from her surroundings to Mulan. "I was really one of those horrible monkeys?"

"I'm afraid so." The dwarves and a few others were headed towards the diner, and Mulan considered for a moment before guiding Aurora to the door that led to the bed and breakfast instead. The diner, with all of its noises and lights and people, might be a bit of a shock. The quiet of Mulan's room would be best until Aurora was ready to face Storybrooke.

The princess followed Mulan up the stairs. "You look different," she said. "You're dressed like Emma."

When Mulan turned at the top of the stairs, she saw the slight pink of a blush on Aurora's cheeks. "They're surprisingly comfortable." She gestured at the tight jeans.

"Anything's better than a corset." Aurora was still in a pale blue gown from home, holding a fistful of skirt to her hip to keep from tripping on the stairs. "Or armor, I'd imagine. It's nice to see you without it."

Mulan nearly said something about getting Aurora out of that corset before she caught herself and held her tongue. She focused on unlocking the door. While she removed her sword and scabbard, Aurora settled on the edge of the bed, legs tucked up underneath her dress.

The question came as Mulan had known it would, and she was thankful to be facing away from the princess so that her pained look went unnoticed. "Have you seen Phillip here?"

"I haven't. Shall we look for him?"

"No," Aurora said, and Mulan turned around, surprised.

"No?" She sat down gingerly beside Aurora, keeping a safe amount of space between them.

"I just wanted to know if I should expect him." Aurora reached out a hand, needing contact as always, and settled it on top of Mulan's against the bedspread. "We separated. That's all over."

The polite thing would be to say that she was sorry to hear it, but Mulan wasn't, and the lie caught in her throat. "What happened?" she asked instead.

"I wasn't the girl he fell in love with anymore, after all those months traveling and fighting with you."

Mulan nodded. She'd seen the changes with her own eyes, and she'd seen the first signs of Phillip's disappointment that the helpless princess he'd rescued had learned to stand on her own.

"And Zelena came to us," Aurora continued. "She offered protection in exchange for our help in enacting her curse. Phillip accepted, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't lie to Snow after all she did for me. I left to find you, but of course the Witch found me first."

"I shouldn't have left," Mulan said instantly, hating that Aurora had been captured because she needed her.

"You had your reasons." Aurora suddenly looked down at her lap, voice going soft. "Phillip said things about you. I don't know if they're true."

Mulan tensed, remembering the conversation she'd overheard a year ago. "Would you hate me if they were?" she asked, her voice going as soft as Aurora's. She extended her free hand, trembling as she cupped Aurora's face and tilted it up until the princess had no choice but to look at her.

"It took me some time, but I hope…" Aurora bit her lip, and Mulan could tell that they were both equally nervous.

Mulan forced herself to remember the courage she'd gathered when she tried to tell Aurora before. "I've cared for you for a long time," she admitted. "When I held your heart in my hand, I knew that I'd fallen in love with you."

Aurora smiled, and Mulan didn't move an inch, hardly even breathed, not trusting that after all this time things could possibly turn out right.

"Mulan," Aurora said, barely more than a whisper. "You hold it still."

Mulan stroked Aurora's cheek with her thumb, happy tears slipping out against her wishes. Aurora leaned forward, and Mulan's eyes fluttered closed as their lips touched. She'd never kissed anyone before, never wanted to kiss anyone else, and she reveled in the softness, trying to memorize every detail.

When the princess gave her another, and then another, Mulan realized that she didn't have to remember, that she could kiss Aurora as many times as she wanted.

* * *

Mulan finally sent for food when she realized that it was dark outside the windows, and Ruby delivered it with a knowing smile. Aurora had changed out of her dress and into Mulan's pajamas and they ate sitting on the bed, continuing their hours-long conversation that was punctuated every so often with kisses.

Aurora tried to hide a yawn behind her hand in the midst of one of Mulan's stories of her exploits with Robin Hood. "I'm sorry," she said when Mulan obviously noticed. "I'm listening, I promise."

"It's been a long day." Mulan could hardly believe just how long. The final battles with Zelena had taken hours, and in the time since the last fight ended, the warrior's entire world had flipped upside down.

"I just want to keep talking to you." Aurora's voice went a hint whiny as it always did when she was tired, and Mulan was reminded of so many nights by the campfire with the princess keeping them both awake.

"Do you still have the nightmares?" Mulan asked, suddenly concerned. She couldn't count the number of times Aurora had cried out in her sleep, trapped in the burning room until Mulan shook her out of it.

"Not often. But I only just got you back."

"And I'll be right here when you wake," Mulan said soothingly, the way she had in the middle of those nights when she coaxed Aurora back to sleep. "When you sleep, too." She reluctantly got up, slipping out of her pants and well aware that the princess was watching her. Mulan's tiny Storybrooke wardrobe only included the one pair of pajamas, so she crawled under the covers without changing further.

"I love you," Aurora whispered as she settled into Mulan's arms, stealing one last kiss goodnight.

"And I love you."

* * *

Mulan was used to waking up in all sorts of places—her childhood home, army barracks, tents, castles, hard ground. And while she'd been sleeping in this hotel room for a week now, she found herself disoriented by the body pressed against hers.

She'd shared a bed with Aurora before, curling close for warmth on their journey. But they'd never been as close as this. Aurora had an arm tight around her waist and her lips were ghosting over Mulan's face and then her neck. "Good morning," she breathed against Mulan's neck.

Mulan shivered, a groan slipping out unbidden. "Aurora."

The princess traveled back up to meet her lips, lingering there as her tongue tried for entrance to Mulan's mouth. When she didn't catch on, Aurora pulled back. "Relax, my love." She traced Mulan's lower lip with her thumb and Mulan sighed at the gentle touch. "Just like that," Aurora encouraged, replacing her finger with her mouth and taking advantage of Mulan's slightly parted lips. Mulan tried ineptly to copy Aurora, but she could hardly wrap her head around what the other girl was doing with her tongue in the first place.

"I'm sorry," Mulan said. She'd been clumsy and terrible at just about everything as a child, but all that had changed in the army. She would hate fumbling around like this if it didn't involve something as enjoyable as kissing Aurora.

Aurora sat up, her loving smile never fading. "Remember what you told me when you taught me to build a fire or use a sword?"

Mulan moved to sit beside her, back against the headboard. "Keep trying."

"Never give up," Aurora barely finished before Mulan tried again.

* * *

"Wait, what?"

Mulan cringed at Emma's volume, suddenly wishing that she hadn't asked the blonde for help. Not at the diner, at least. There was really no one else she could turn to when the majority of the people she knew in Storybrooke were male.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Emma said, lowering her voice again. "I just can't believe that a Disney Princess is asking me for sex tips. _Lesbian_ sex tips."

Mulan sighed. "I don't know why you insist on calling me that. I'm not a princess."

Emma grinned. "If you marry Aurora, you will be."

"This isn't about marriage."

"Well, obviously you have to seal the deal first," Emma said, waggling her eyebrows. Mulan went miserably red, and Emma finally relented. "Okay, I'm done, I promise."

"I just want everything to be perfect for her," Mulan said softly, looking down at her soda.

"Forget perfect," Emma said, but she was smiling gently enough that Mulan knew the teasing was over. "It's her first time with a girl, right? And your first time ever. There are going to be awkward parts and uncomfortable parts. But she loves you, so she's going to be happy."

"I hope so."

"Besides," Emma added, "you're the bravest person I know."

* * *

Mulan was fairly confident that she'd figured out kissing by now, but it all felt entirely new with her bare skin brushing against Aurora's. She couldn't help blushing as the princess broke the kiss to take a good look at her lean, muscular body. But the momentary space between them meant that Mulan could see Aurora's delicate curves and she drank them in, knowing that she'd never seen anything more beautiful.

She remembered Emma's pointers somewhere hazy in the back of her mind, and as she surged up to kiss Aurora again she trailed her fingers up the princess's arm, over her shoulder, and down again until she reached the swell of a breast. Aurora gasped into the kiss, arching forward as Mulan moved from timid strokes to palm her firmly. "Is that okay?" she asked.

"It's wonderful," Aurora promised, smiling brightly at her. "Don't stop."

Emma had explained the mechanics, but Mulan was finding that her tutor was right, that so much did come instinctually. Mulan wanted to touch Aurora everywhere, so she did. She maneuvered her body over the princess's, kissing down Aurora's neck as her fingers continued exploring.

She paused with her hand splayed against Aurora's hip, raising up just enough to look at the girl under her without losing the maddening contact of skin on skin. "I…" she whispered, mouth dry and courage faltering. "I love you, Aurora."

Aurora had a hand tangled in Mulan's hair from the earlier kisses, and she loosened her hold while still cupping the back of Mulan's head. "I love you, too." She pulled Mulan close for a sweet, chaste kiss. "I always will."

Before Mulan could move farther into new territory, Aurora moved both hands to Mulan's chest and the warrior let out a strangled cry. Mulan dipped her head down to the pillow, still propping herself up over Aurora, and reveled in the occasional soft tug at her nipples. One hand remained, the other slipping down Mulan's stomach.

"You are so beautiful," Aurora told her. "I don't tell you that enough." And then that hand was traveling lower, skimming over the patch of dark curls before brushing the wetness that Mulan was getting used to appearing when she was with Aurora.

She jerked against the fingers that were parting her, startled by the sensation. "Aurora," she whispered.

"All right?" the princess asked, and Mulan nodded against her shoulder. Aurora slipped one finger slowly into Mulan, whispering something Mulan couldn't hear over the heartbeat pounding in her ears. Aurora stroked gently but insistently, pressing kisses into Mulan's hair, and Mulan found herself shaking, strong arms threatening to give way as pleasure overtook her. She cried out wordlessly, letting herself sink down against Aurora, the murmurs of love and encouragement shaping into words as the blood stopped thrumming through her head.

"So that's…" she started breathlessly.

"Yes." Aurora stroked Mulan's hair over one shoulder. "That's what I'm going to do to you a thousand times."

"Incredible." Mulan rested a moment longer in Aurora's embrace, looking up at the princess with more love than she'd ever thought possible. "Can I?"

"Please."

Mulan rolled them onto their sides, stroking sensitive spot on Aurora's hip before taking a deep breath and walking her fingers inward. She glanced at the princess, finding unfocused eyes and parted lips, and then continued. She slipped her hand between Aurora's legs, smiling to find that Aurora was just as wet as she was, if not more.

"I need you," Aurora begged, sensing Mulan's hesistance and covering her lover's hand with her own. Mulan let Aurora guide her, hearing the princess exhale sharply as both sets of fingers brushed against her clit. "Right there," she explained, taking her own hand away.

Mulan rubbed lines, circles, figure eights, looking at what she was doing carefully before turning back towards Aurora's face in time to see her eyes flutter closed. "I love you," she said, and Aurora mouthed the words back before letting out a hoarse cry and shuddering against Mulan's fingers. Mulan continued, wanting to make sure that she'd done enough, and Aurora came a second time moments later before reaching for Mulan's wrist and whispering her name.

Sweaty and giddy, they settled back against the pillows, both smiling so much it almost hurt.

"Never leave me," Aurora whispered as they lay together, arms and legs tangled.

"Never," Mulan promised.


End file.
